


in the next life (you're my last)

by jyaniheon



Category: GOT7
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, First Meetings, Fluff and Angst, Implied/Referenced Character Death, M/M, Office Party, Past Lives
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-04
Updated: 2021-01-04
Packaged: 2021-03-14 21:22:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,753
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28552308
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jyaniheon/pseuds/jyaniheon
Summary: This is Jaebeom's seventh life but he still cannot forget the one from his previous.
Relationships: Im Jaebum | JB/Park Jinyoung
Comments: 8
Kudos: 57





	in the next life (you're my last)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [wetrustinjjp](https://archiveofourown.org/users/wetrustinjjp/gifts).



> for pingping ♥
> 
> Inspired by [this tweet](https://twitter.com/wetrustinjjp/status/1341324449895776257?s=20) and loosely based on the webtoon "See You in My 19th Life". No need to worry about spoilers if you're following that webtoon, because there's none!
> 
> Happy new year, everyone! Hope you all enjoy ♥

Jaebeom stretches as he watches the screen of his work PC briefly load before completely shutting down. He glances at the stack of papers on his left, grateful that they are all graded and ready to be turned in to the administration office later--his last work for this semester. Feeling light and relieved, Jaebeom slings his bag across his shoulder before collecting the papers in his arm and bidding farewell to the remaining staff and teachers in the office.

"Jaebeom-ah," Hyunwoo calls from across the room. "Will you come to the gathering later?"

Being the junior lecturer in his department, Jaebeom tries his best to follow the social demands of his work environment. The clock in the office room tells him that it's nearing 5PM, less than an hour away until the annual year-end gathering of faculty staff and teachers.

In all honesty, all Jaebeom wants to do is go home and spend the start of his 5-day long break with his cats and comics, but he knows he shouldn't. And with Hyunwoo's kind and gentle smile directed at him, he definitely doesn't have it in him to say no to his most respected sunbae.

"Of course," He says. "You told me there's gonna be those super delicious lamb skewers, right?"

Hyunwoo lights up and gives him a big thumbs up while excitedly re-enacting the tale of the to-die-for lamb skewers. Jaebeom laughs and yells a "see you later" before exiting the room and making a stop at the office to drop the papers.

He considers going home to wash up first but eventually decides against it, worried that he might not have enough time. Besides, he has a pair of casual outfits in his car, something to replace his formal work attire before going to the gathering. The moment he enters the car, he closes his eyes and allows himself a short rest.

This is his _seventh_ life but he still finds it as exhausting as his last.

Jaebeom has been blessed (cursed?) with the memories of his past lives. He still remembers when he was first born as a royal. He remembers being reincarnated as a cat, relying on human compassion to spare some food. He remembers living as a poor maiden, struggling to make do. He remembers being a popular musician, greatly loved and adored. He remembers them all, every event and every detail clearly imprinted in his head.

He remembers being _in love_. Only _once_ , in his seven lives, but never forgotten. _Impossible_ to be forgotten.

She was breathtaking. Long, lush mocha hair cascading down her back in soft waves. Cherry red tone glossed her full, pinched lips. The intense gaze of her brown irises. The wrinkles at the edge of her eyes that appeared together with the gentle smile.

She was also beyond his reach.

The circumstances were unfavorable and many incidents occurred, forcing Jaebeom to be satisfied with the brief conversations they occasionally have. A part of him still detests himself for choosing to blend with the crowd and not attempt to pursue her. For forgoing what could have been beautiful because he had thought a happier future awaits.

That life had ended tragically.

Jaebeom wishes that he can have the memories of that life erased when he is reborn, but to no avail. He continues to live with the regrets of his past lives haunting him and burning him alive.

Gently slapping his cheeks to wake himself up, Jaebeom buries all the lingering recollections before peeking at his backseat to pick out his outfit. He spots a long bisque coat and a black bandana he thinks he can work in. After giving it a thought, Jaebeom shrugs off his work shirt to leave the plain white T-shirt underneath. His necklace kind of stings on his skin, so he takes it out and lets it hang in front of his shirt. He ties the bandana on his belt to give it an accent. Jaebeom roughly brushes his hair before pulling out a sports headband from the glove compartment and wearing it. Lastly, he changes his work shoes into comfy sneakers.

Jaebeom glances at his watch, noticing that he has fifteen minutes before the gathering starts. He gets out of his car and puts on his coat, doing one last check of his look on the window reflection before walking towards the faculty main hall. It's not going to take more than five minutes but he would rather come early so he can have an excuse to leave early as well. The venue is surprisingly crowded when he arrives and Jaebeom politely passes greetings with everyone he meets. He finds an empty spot near the air cooler, standing there awkwardly while waiting for the gathering to officially start. His eyes scan the available buffet table, taking note of all the served food and very obviously noticing the lamb skewers Hyunwoo enthusiastically explained to him before. He must have zoned out while staring at the food because a gentle prod on his arm greatly startled him.

"Help yourself with the welcome drinks, _Jay B_ , no need to hold yourself back like a rookie." Jimin nudges him with her elbow teasingly, a glass of fruit punch in her hand. The two of them entered the university at the same year, both having to deal with being awkwardly put in the year-end annual gathering before officially starting work in the next semester. That time, they spent an hour just standing and stiffly introducing themselves to everyone they come across before having enough courage to approach the food buffet. Their plates end up being a weird mesh of food from various countries due to the limited options left, but it made a great conversation topic that led them to become good friends despite working in different departments.

Jaebeom smiles and gives her a fist-bump. "Thanks for the reminder, _Jamie_."

Jimin shoos him away when Jaebeom playfully annoys her before he walks towards the drinks bar. He gets a fruit punch, obviously inspired by Jimin, and takes a sip, relishing the sweet, sugary flavor filling his mouth. He sees Wooyoung wave at him and he waves back, watching the man making his way towards the bar, along with Taecyeon. The two sunbaes fetch themselves a drink of their choice and join Jaebeom.

"Enjoying yourself so far?" Taecyeon asks. Jaebeom nods slowly and murmurs a "sure" he hopes doesn't sound too fake.

Wooyoung snickers. "Don't lie, I know you'd rather be at home and start the holiday earlier. Let's be real, we _all_ do."

Jaebeom chuckles and gives in. "I'm really only here for the lamb skewers."

They start talking about their plans for the holiday, giving each other recommendations and tips. They get distracted midway in their talk by a small commotion forming near the entrance, catching the three men's attention. Jaebeom tries to get a peek but cannot see much.

"Ah, right." Taecyeon claps his fist to his palm as he remembers something. "The new recruits are coming today. Four people, I think. There's one that's gonna be in my department."

Wooyoung almost chokes on his drink. "God, the dean is still doing that? Hasn't he seen how uncomfortable it is?" He turns to Jaebeom. "You remember, don't you? Even _I_ still remember not knowing what the heck was I supposed to do in a party full of strangers that are supposed to be my future coworkers."

Of course Jaebeom remembers. That was how he met Jimin, and three other new teachers who were also forced to attend the gathering. The most awkward part about it was not knowing the ranks between everyone, having no choice but to be extremely careful in their acts in fear of accidentally offending a senior that might culminate into bad blood for the rest of their career on campus. Jaebeom later learns that it was a tradition made by the dean who persistently carries it on despite the endless complaints.

Taecyeon puts one hand on Jaebeom's shoulders. "Hey, maybe you should approach them. Give them pointers, help them break the ice." He raises both eyebrows, either teasing or encouraging, Jaebeom isn't entirely sure. "After all, you were in their place just three years ago."

Wooyoung rolls his eyes. "One of them will be _your_ hoobae. Don't force _mine_ into your responsibilities." He deadpans while standing defensively in front of Jaebeom, acting like he is protecting the younger man.

Jaebeom laughs and pats his back. "It's okay, sunbae. I actually wanna help." He says goodbye to the two older men and starts moving closer to the group of new recruits. He sees that it consists of several women, all taking turns to bow and greet a couple of professors, and one man whose back is facing Jaebeom as he appears to be the last to introduce himself. Not wanting to be rude, Jaebeom goes to the snack bar to busy himself with a mini pastry while sneaking glances at the group, waiting for the professors to excuse themselves. Shortly after, the professors walk away while gesturing to the snack bar as an invitation and the recruits all turn to take a look at the bar, including the man whose face is now wholly visible to Jaebeom.

Jaebeom's breath hitches.

Thick ebony hair curling just above his nape. Very light peach chapstick glossed his plump, upturned lips. The warm gaze of his brown irises. The wrinkles at the edge of his eyes that appear together with the kind smile.

There aren't that many similarities between him and _her_ , but Jaebeom feels like he is being transported back in time, to that one time and one life where he fell in love.

Maybe this time he can make it happen.

Jaebeom isn't sure how long he has stood there frozen but by the time his muddled mind is clear, the new teachers are all hanging out by the snack bar with the welcome drinks in their hands. The man is standing right within Jaebeom's line of sight, probably just six or seven steps away, close enough for Jaebeom to appreciate his striking handsomeness without being too obvious. Jaebeom lays his hand on his chest, feeling the wild thumps of his heart that only seem to increase the more he stares at the man. He feels lightheaded, not expecting to experience this kind of rush again since... since _then_.

Taking a deep breath, Jaebeom slowly advances towards the man, stopping just beside him. He looks at the tall tray of tartlets in front of him and picks up an egg tart, a small attempt to seem inconspicuous before finally addressing the man.

"Welcome," Jaebeom says, catching the other man's attention. The latter smiles and nods at him in response.

"Thank you." He says, still smiling, still sending Jaebeom's heart into a frenzy. He looks at Jaebeom and pauses, something clearly on his mind. "I'm sorry, but...is it _that_ obvious that I'm new?"

Jaebeom can't hold back the chuckle. "Only because I know how it feels. I'm from the last batch, just before yours."

The other man's mouth forms an 'o'. "So you were also....?" He gestures around to the party, earning a firm nod from Jaebeom. "Even before the first day of work?" Another nod. The man laughs, but Jaebeom can sense the relief in his voice. "God, this was so unexpected. I was so surprised when I got the email from the dean about this gathering. I seriously thought it was a mistake."

"Yeah, our dean is kinda… _wonky_ , like that. You'll get used to it." Jaebeom assures. He sees the other man's body visibly relax more, shoulders no longer as tense although posture maintained straight and upright. Jaebeom likes this, this light atmosphere between them, so unlike the cautious one he had to bear with in _that_ life.

"So which department are you from?" The man asks, adding a hesitant 'sir?' in the end. Jaebeom shakes his head and reveals his birth year, later finding that the other was born at the same year so they agree to dismiss the honorifics.

"Performing Arts." He then answers. The man looks at him expectantly, like he is waiting for Jaebeom to continue. Jaebeom blinks, confused for a moment, before it registers to him. "Sorry. Lim Jaebeom." He holds out his hand in which the other gladly takes in a firm handshake. Jaebeom tries not to think about how their hands seem to perfectly fit each other.

"Park Jinyoung." The man introduces himself, followed by an exasperated sigh, "Please don't make a comment about how it's the same name as the dean, I've heard more than enough jokes about that in the past fifteen minutes."

A laugh erupts from Jaebeom, surprising even himself with how loud and how carefree he sounds. "Okay." He squeezes the other's hand, an affirmation, an _I promise_. Jinyoung gives him a sharp glare, a playful warning, a _You better_.

Funny how easy they can understand each other's nonverbal cues despite this being their first meeting.

Jinyoung is the first to let go of their linked hands, later indulging himself with a strawberry tartlet. He tilts his head, a mischievous look on his face, "Aren't you curious about which department I'll be working at?"

Jaebeom makes a thoughtful hum. "Why does it feel like you're gonna make me guess?"

Jinyoung beams. "Then guess." He taunts, delicately biting on the tartlet with a mirthful smirk.

Jaebeom tries to think, _really_ tries to think because he wants to entertain the other, but the mental list of their faculty departments in his head immediately dissipates when he sees Jinyoung rubbing away the excess of cream on his upper lip with his thumb before licking it off. The small action causes a major reaction to Jaebeom's body and he sincerely hopes Jinyoung doesn't notice his shamefully agape mouth. Thankfully, Jinyoung seems blissfully unaware as he finishes the rest of the tart in one bite and then looks at Jaebeom, anticipating his answer. Jaebeom forces his brain to work again.

"Uhh," He says the first one that comes to mind. "Art History and Conservation?"

Jinyoung frowns. "Do I really look that boring?" He crosses his arms across his chest, displeased. Jaebeom's eyes go wide in panic but then Jinyoung hides a chortle behind his hand. "Kidding. Sorry. I'm not actually offended. That was better than my best friend's guess when I told him I got accepted. He said _Ceramic Arts_."

Jaebeom snorts. "We don't even _have_ Ceramic Arts here." He says. "How did he come up with that in the first place?"

Jinyoung shrugs. "I don't know. Jackson's weird and dumb. But he's a very good friend."

"Glad to know you have reliable friends." The other man comments.

"Yeah..." Jinyoung clears his throat. "Anyway. I'll be working in the Theatre Arts department."

Jaebeom perks up. "Oh! Your building is right across mine."

"Really?" There is a minute change in how Jinyoung carries himself, but Jaebeom notices. He doesn't understand how, but he just _sees_ it: the other man's now slightly downcast gaze and the almost invisible fidgeting of his foot. He doesn't meet Jaebeom's gaze when he asks, "How's it like?"

Jaebeom can _feel_ that his answer will have a lot of weight in Jinyoung's mind and the rest of his work life in the faculty. A part of him wonders if he's exaggerating the extent of impact he may have on Jinyoung, but... He has an oddly strong gut feeling about it.

Is this the universe's way of telling him to not put this life to waste, after living cowardly in his past life?

Jaebeom genuinely prays for his mouth to not fail him as he puts on the most reassuring smile he can muster. "Well. Every floor has this really wide hall area where students usually put up a stage to perform or practice. The students are very enthusiastic and creative, I've seen some rooms converted into filming sets for their projects." He makes grand gestures with his hands for further emphasis as he continues to describe the various good things he has seen or heard about the Theatre Arts department. His department sometimes holds joint lectures with them so he actually has some firsthand experience with the learning environment. Jinyoung's expression brightens, his head constantly nodding along to Jaebeom's words as he gives reactions and occasionally questions that Jaebeom tries his best to answer.

"Also, I know some sunbaes from your department and they're all very nice, so um... don't worry about fitting in." Jaebeom's instincts are telling him to reach out for Jinyoung's hand and give him a comforting squeeze but he restrains himself, reminding himself over and over again that this is their _first_ meeting. He gives the other man a pat on the shoulder instead.

Jinyoung returns it with the most beaming smile Jaebeom has seen. "Thanks, Jaebeom." He says, the wrinkles around his eyes are prominent like cat whiskers because of how wide he's smiling. His eyes focus on Jaebeom, "I'm so glad I met you."

Jaebeom's heart skips a beat. The warmth spreading in his chest and blossoming on his cheeks are an unfamiliar sensation but he welcomes them all. Ducking his head slightly, he nods timidly, "Yeah..." He dares to look right into Jinyoung's eyes as he says, "Me too."

The conversation continues as they talk about their hobbies and interests, which are surprisingly quite similar. They get into a heated debate about camera models when Jinyoung's colleague suddenly calls him over to greet a professor. Jinyoung quickly grabs his phone and asks Jaebeom to punch in his number before apologizing and excusing himself. Jaebeom feels the good mood dripping away from him as he watches the other man walking away, wishing he could spend more time with him. Sighing dejectedly, Jaebeom makes his way to the buffet to grab food to soothe the disappointment.

Later, after he's finished four servings (a plate of sashimi, a small bowl of hotpot, and two plates of that insanely scrumptious lamb skewers--Hyunwoo wasn't kidding when he said it's so damn good) and is eating cheesecake for dessert, he feels his phone vibrating with a message. The notification on his lockscreen says, _Jinyoung here_.

Another message comes. _What do you think would be an appropriate excuse to escape from here?_

Jaebeom surveys the room and finds Jinyoung in no time, the man already looking at him with a coy smile adorning his lips. Jinyoung and his colleagues are gathered around a senior professor who has a tendency to go on long, endless rambles; stuck there listening to her go on and on. Jinyoung sends him an S.O.S with his eyes but Jaebeom simply waves at him with his spoon and mouths a teasing _Have fun_. The stank face Jinyoung gives him is priceless.

Giggling to himself, Jaebeom goes back to enjoying his cheesecake while watching Jinyoung from afar. Even in his seven lives, a cake has never tasted this sweet.

-

Jinyoung ran as fast as she could in the darkness of the night, uncaring of the trouble she would definitely have to deal with later with her boss when she got home. The roads were empty, her only company being the flickering streetlights and the star studded sky. She ran and ran, chanting endless prayers in her mind as fear began to overwhelm her the closer she got to her destination.

When she finally arrived, there were only rubbles and smoke.

She heard about the fire long after it was extinguished. Her boss didn’t let her or any of the other employees know in guise of keeping them focused on their duties. It was only thanks to a guest right before the closing that she found out: _Be careful on your way home. There was a fire at that shabby art place and it was completely burned down, crazy. I heard there was no survivors._

Her heart dropped and shattered into a million pieces from the news.

Covering her mouth as protection from the fumy residue, she carefully entered the ruins, her breath growing shaky with every step she took as she observed what was left of the place she dearly cherished: broken, burnt wooden frames of the building; huge masses of ash collected on the floors; piles of unidentified blackened tools and objects scattered all over.

Nothing remained.

Trembling, she went to the path that her feet had memorized despite only going through it once; into the remnants of the room that witnessed the earnest and hard work of one young artisan.

There were fragments of bones under the wreckage.

She gasped, tears streaming down her cheeks with the clear proof of her worst fears confirmed. Her knees buckled, strength escaping her body and left her crouching down in the burned room, mourning over the loss of her dearest.

A glint of something shiny at the corner caught her attention like a calling so she crawled towards it. She removed the layer of debris and dug through the ash, eventually finding a necklace, the metal charred and covered in ash but she recognized it all too well. She always saw it hung around his neck and she always thought that it looked good on him, although she never told him.

_God_ , how much she wished she had told him.

She sobbed as the tremendous regret filled her: of words she wished she had said, of actions she wished she had done, of _feelings_ she wished she had expressed. But it was all too late now.

Maybe it’s only too late in this life.

“Please…” She wept, looking at the sky, her hands clasped as she begged whoever had the power to grant her prayers. “I don’t care how many lives I’ll have to live, how many times I have to be reborn, just please…” Tears flowed out of her eyes endlessly, she whispered in stuttered breaths, “Please let me meet him again. Please let me be with him again.”

Only the silence of the night answered her.

-

Jinyoung’s phone vibrates in his hand so he sneaks a peek while the professor is too immersed in her storytelling. It's Jaebeom, finally giving him a proper reply.

_A prior arrangement with a friend who said he'll take you around town?_

Another message. _That friend's name is Lim Jaebeom, in case you're wondering._

Jinyoung can't hold back the big smile.

This is Jinyoung's twenty-sixth life and he has finally found his missing last piece.

**Author's Note:**

> Just in case it's confusing: Jaebeom and Jinyoung don't always live on the same timeline and Jinyoung gets reborn quicker than Jaebeom, which is why Jinyoung experienced more past lives. Also, only Jaebeom has memories of his past lives, Jinyoung doesn't but he believes in rebirth and reincarnation. I hope the story isn't too confusing ><  
> Thank you so much for reading! Comments and kudos are very much appreciated ♥


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